Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-09-16
The Farmers Complaints.


We 6nd the following letter under the
above caption from our fellow countyman, DIR.
N. Chapman in the Baltimore Sun of Wednes'
day, and reprint it for some of the good sng'
ges,ons it contains. 1t may he, and indeed Is
difficult, if not practically impossible matter
to restrain or regulate by law The percentage OF
pro6t of the middle man who iEvari .hly comes
in between the producer and the Consumer o.
the products of the farm. But this colld be
done effectively without the Intervention OF law,
if the ,roducers were as well organized and
bonded together by the tiss of associatios as the
middle men are The Doctor aprly puts the
idea hereto'or suggested in the THINKS, that II
the producers of tobacco in this State were
organized into an ASSOCIATE IN, it would 40 longer
be in the power of the French contractor TO
arbitrarily fix the value of the Mary land pro-
duct in the French market:
This Is an sge pregnant with grievances -
Every calling and craft is present II the b'r OF
our legislative assemblies demanding redress
for real and fanced wrongs by which they are
opuosed The firm-r is there. after years OF
paiipnt fo, hearaure of the platforms OF both
politiral parties, humnlv PRAYING Tor removal
Of some of the burdens by which his or"up'-
ton is Oppressed. What are his complaints =!
Yoa will look in vain Tor The latter In t''e ii'e
shIe and e;ouaent address of the Hon ,hert
Beverly 10 the fnm-rs OF Firgini'. Ttrs-it
n nd eloquenilr presenting their complaints, he
offers no suggestions for that redress. / he same
nav be s.id of the recent meeting OF tue Agr'-
cultural Socie Of North Carolina. They even
went so far as to negative tariff reform r-so-
/ ,halx
then, to stale what appears to be his demands
An enhanced price Tor his products al an un
tran,meled mGrk.t One is SO consequent upon
tn. other. The farmer recognizes certain nat
ural laws such MS that of supply and demand.
which determine the price Of his products, ana
he is willing to submit to them AT the same
time there are certain artificial factors that cou
troll trade " hich he it not willing to submit to.
These are, FIRST. gambling in the necessaries OF
life produced by him second, and he existence
Of that Ishm ,.l- pirate Of all trade-the fdfe
man.
Itis not necessary here to explain how this
species of gambling materially initiates against
his interest or TO comment upon the immorali-
ty Of it, the late Henry Ward Beecher to the
contrary. We have had too many recent exhi-
billions how a few wealthy dealers like Armour
can influence the trade of the whole country.
In gambling upon the margin of the future
o., ice of grain TWO or three months in advance,
how necessary it is to the gambler 10 be able to
control that margin, and how easily ana mer-
ciessIy he does il we all know, and the dssstr-
Gus result to the farmer know al:o. This
he demands to be prohibited by proper ies'sl.-
ton The retslistory measures adopted ov
foreign governments resulting from our tar'f
system also initiate against his interests These
be dem .nds TO be removed, as well as the hos
tile provisions of the tariff itself. We come now
TO the middle man. The Atlantic slope Of the
United States at present is largely engaged in
tie production of small fruits and what is de-
nom mated as truck, which requires rapid dis
trihurion to the consumer. This is his harvest.
'.H- tolls not, neither does he spin, but be
manages to get the lions share out of these
productions Let me illustrate: At no time
save in the earliest Of the season did the pro
ducer receive iu Washington city ten cents for
the hest melon. AT no time during the season
could a consumer procure melon Tor less than
twenty or twenty Eve cents. And likewise In
regard to all other farm products.
Today no one can sell a cord OF wood IN " ash
ing,on directly to a consumer, but be is com
teiled to pay to one or two men ten cents per
cord, whilst the measurer will dock him Eve per
cent without protest from his colleague 10
the robbery. Foar cents is the highest price
obtainahle for grass beef; but follow that beef,
no soon Ms u IS Oh iuc outSuft piDN0 ~
cannot be obtained for less than eighieea or
twenty cents Consequently beef can only en-
ter in the daily consumption OF the well ,o-do,
whilst The great arms Of consumers must do
without it whereas if it were within their
,sea as more beef wou' d be consumed. aud there
" would be a greater desAand for it. II does not
satisfy the farmer to tell him that il would re-
quire arbitrary legislation 10 remedy this evil.
The laws regulating usury msy be arbitrary,
still they exist and are enforced. Remove the
protection of the law, and the public would take
by the throat and summarily suppress this
harpv, and any law that protects him in bis
nefarious calling should be repealed. Ii II is
not unconstitutional TO determine by law the
rate OF usury, it would not be Unconstitutional
10 determine by law the percentage OF profit
one may demand for the necessaIies OF life, sn1
,ny thing beyond that rate be deemed usurv and
punishable 1t is surely an abnormal condition.
3f trade W ben the market for Maryland tobacco
3 controlled for the year by the arbitrary price
given by the fortunate individual Who has the
contract for supplying the tobacco ior the
French government. IL is to his Interest to de-
press the market in order TO enhance his margin
of profit. The contract being solely IN bis
nands he is without opposition or competition
and tan readily accomplish bis purpose.
b. proper combination among tie tobacco
growers they can compel this contract 10 be
given to a party or parties who shall receive
liked percentage upon the tobacco purchased,
and cut the margin of profit from dep' essed
market. Trusting that the attention of our re-
cently appointed delegates TO the National
A gricultural Convention may De called TO these
suggestions, and that they may adopt and aF-
prove them or else give US something better,
hope, but that hope is very faint.
Respectfully,
n. CHAPMAN, NJ. D,